REPATRIATION OF 200,000 CROATS IS KEY FOR SUCCESS OF FEDERATION

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Hina) - The success of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina is a strategic interest for Croatia, and the Croatian government remains fully committed to the implementation of the Washington accords, said a statement from the Croatian Ambassador to the UN, Mario Nobilo, on occasion of the second anniversary of the Croat-Moslem Federation. The key to the success of the Federation is the repatriation of 200,000 Croats to area under Moslem control and the investigation into crimes committed against Bosnian Croats. #L# "The Federation, and its ties to Croatia, will establish a long term balance of power in the region. The Federation can prevent further deterioration of Bosnia-Herzegovina toward radical ideologies that pose a real threat to long term peace and security not only in the region, but in all of Europe." The successes of the Federation had outweighed the shortfalls in the past two years. The shortfalls, for the most part, could be attributed to the overly ambitious implementation timetables, the Statement said. "The Federation, at its very core, seeks to rebuild the multi- ethnic fabric of Bosnia. Without the repatriation of the Croat population to the Moslem controlled areas, there can be no Federation," the statement said. "Secondly, and closely tied to the repatriation issue, is the fact that not one of the massacres of Bosnian Croat civilians has yet been publicly investigated by the relevant bodies of the international community". The Power sharing in the Federation should encompass media, diplomacy and the distribution of reconstruction and military aid, Nobilo wrote. (hina) lm jn 291125 MET mar 96